Getting to the root of child labour in the agricultural sector

Cotton is an important raw material for IKEA, and about 50% of all cotton in IKEA textile products originates in India and Pakistan. IKEA is not a buyer of cotton or cottonseed and the chain is long from farmers to IKEA suppliers. Since cotton is so important to the business – and as there is a widespread abuse of children’s rights in the agricultural sector of most developing and emerging economies - the IKEA Foundation has chosen to address major concerns towards protection of children’s rights and women’s empowerment in cotton and cottonseed growing areas of India and Pakistan.

Since 2006, but with the major investments starting in 2009, IKEA has supported UNICEF and Save the Children in implementing child rights programmes to prevent child labour and promote quality education in cotton and cottonseed farming areas. The aim is to create a protective and healthy environment for children in at least 15,000 villages in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan in India and in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan in Pakistan.